Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Rules of Capitalization in Spanish

Rules of Capitalization in Spanish Spanish uses far fewer capital letters than does English. With only two exceptions - Spanish capitalizes Sol and Luna when they refer to the Earths sun and moon, respectively - whenever Spanish capitalizes a word, the corresponding word in English is capitalized. But the opposite is far from true; there are numerous instances where English capitalizes that Spanish does not. What Spanish does capitalize are proper names for people, places, holidays, newspapers, and magazines; abbreviations of personal titles such as Dr. (Dr.), Sr. (Mr.), Sra. (Mrs.), and Srta. (Miss); and the first word in the titles of books, plays, movies, and similar works. Here are the most common cases where English capitalizes that Spanish does not: Calendar Names of the days of the week and months of the year use lower-case letters. Hoy es martes. (Today is Tuesday.) Mà ©xico celebra su independencia el 16 de septiembre. (Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16.) Composition Titles In formal written Spanish, titles of movies, books, plays, and similar works capitalize only the first word and proper nouns. La guerra de las galaxias (Star Wars), Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal (Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone) Note: In informal written Spanish, and on book covers and movie posters, it is not unusual to see such composition titles capitalized as in English. Personal Titles Introductory titles are not capitalized, although common abbreviations of them (such as Sr. for seà ±or, Dr. for doctor, D. for don and Srta. for seà ±orita) are.  ¿Conoces a la seà ±ora Wilson? (Do you know Mrs. Wilson?)  ¿Conoces a la Sra. Wilson? (Do you know Mrs. Wilson?) La reina Victoria fue mi abuela. (Queen Victoria was my grandmother.) Religions Names of religions and their adherents arent capitalized. Mi madre es catà ³lica. (My mother is Catholic.) Estudio el cristianismo. (Im studying Christianity.) Ordinal Numbers When an ordinal number is used after a name, it isnt capitalized. Luis catorce (Luis the Fourteenth), Carlos octavo (Charles the Eighth.) If Roman numerals are used, they are capitalized. Place Names Although the given name of rivers, lakes, mountains and other geographic features are capitalized, the geographical identity is not. No vimos el rà ­o Amazonas. (We didnt see the Amazon River.) Vivimos cerca de la montaà ±a Rainier. (We live near Mount Rainier.) Nationality Although names of countries and cities are capitalized, words derived from them are not. Soy inglà ©s. (Im English.) Prefiero los cocos puertorriqueà ±os. (I prefer the Puerto Rican coconuts.) Languages Names of languages arent capitalized. Hablo inglà ©s. (I speak English.) Quiero estudiar alemn. (I want to study German.) Sample Sentences on Spanish Capitalization Habà ­ negociaciones de paz entre el gobierno del presidente Juan Manuel Santos y las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia. (There were peace negotiations between the government of Presidente Juan Manual Santos and the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia. The presidents title isnt capitalized, but the formal name of FARC is because it is considered a proper noun.) Los musulmanes catalanes son ms que una comunidad. (Catalonian Muslims are more than a community. References to the geographic origin or religious affiliations of people are not capitalized.) El rà ­o Danubio atraviesa varios paà ­ses de Europa antes de desembocar en el Mar negro. (The Danube River crosses several European countries before emptying into the Black Sea. Only the given names of the river and sea are capitalized.) El rey Lear es una tragedia de Shakespeare. King Lear is a Shakespeare tragedy. (Rey is not capitalized, even though it is part of the play title as well as a personal title.) Herodes murià ³ el aà ±o 4 a. de C. (Herod died in 4 B.C. Only the letter standing for the name of a person is capitalized in this abbreviation. The abbreviation stands for antes de Cristo.) El doctor Romero es un conocido veterinario de Buenos Aires. El Dr. Romero es un conocide veterinario de Buenos Aires. (Dr. Romero is a well-known Buenos Aires veterinarian. His title is capitalized when abbreviated but not otherwise.) Herodes murià ³ el aà ±o 4 a. de C. (Herod died in 4 B.C. Only the letter standing for the name of a person is capitalized in this abbreviation. The abbreviation stands for antes de Cristo.) Las Naciones Unidas es una organizacià ³n internacional formada por 192 paà ­ses independientes. (The United Nations is an international organization formed by 192 independent countries. Names of organizations are capitalized as in English.) El budismo es una religià ³n oriental que tiene muchos creyentes occidentales. (Buddhism is an Eastern religion that has many Western believers. Names of religions are not capitalized, even when named after a person. Neither are geographical words such as oriental unless they refer to a specific entity, such as in Europa Oriental for Eastern Europe.)

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Carbon Chemistry and Crystal Structure of Diamonds

The Carbon Chemistry and Crystal Structure of Diamonds The word diamond is derived from the Greek word adamao, meaning I tame or I subdue or the related word adamas, which means hardest steel or hardest substance. Everyone knows diamonds are hard and beautiful, but did you know a diamond could be the oldest material you might own? While the rock in which diamonds are found may be 50 to 1,600 million years old, the diamonds themselves are approximately 3.3 billion years old. This discrepancy comes from the fact that the volcanic magma that solidifies into rock, where diamonds are found did not create them, but only transported the diamonds from the Earths mantle to the surface. Diamonds also may form under the high pressures and temperatures at the site of meteorite impacts. The diamonds formed during an impact may be relatively young, but some meteorites contain stardust - debris from the death of a star - which may include diamond crystals. One such meteorite is known to contain tiny diamonds over 5 billion years old. These diamonds are older than our solar system. Start with Carbon Understanding the chemistry of a diamond requires a basic knowledge of the element carbon. A neutral carbon atom has six protons and six neutrons in its nucleus, balanced by six electrons. The electron shell configuration of carbon is 1s22s22p2. Carbon has a valence of ​four since four electrons can be accepted to fill the 2p orbital. Diamond is made up of repeating units of carbon atoms joined to four other carbon atoms via the strongest chemical linkage, covalent bonds. Each carbon atom is in a rigid tetrahedral network where it is equidistant from its neighboring carbon atoms. The structural unit of diamond consists of eight atoms, fundamentally arranged in a cube. This network is very stable and rigid, which is why diamonds are so very hard and have a high melting point. Virtually all carbon on Earth comes from the stars. Studying the isotopic ratio of the carbon in a diamond makes it possible to trace the history of the carbon. For example, at the earths surface, the ratio of isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-13 is slightly different from that of stardust. Also, certain biological processes actively sort carbon isotopes according to mass, so the isotopic ratio of carbon that has been in living things is different from that of the Earth or the stars. Therefore, it is known that the carbon for most natural diamonds comes most recently from the mantle, but the carbon for a few diamonds is the recycled carbon of microorganisms, formed into diamonds by the earths crust via plate tectonics. Some minute diamonds that are generated by meteorites are from carbon available at the site of impact; some diamond crystals within meteorites are still fresh from the stars. Crystal Structure The crystal structure of a diamond is a face-centered cubic or FCC lattice. Each carbon atom joins four other carbon atoms in regular tetrahedrons (triangular prisms). Based on the cubic form and its highly symmetrical arrangement of atoms, diamond crystals can develop into several different shapes, known as crystal habits. The most common crystal habit is the eight-sided octahedron or diamond shape. Diamond crystals can also form cubes, dodecahedra, and combinations of these shapes. Except for two shape classes, these structures are manifestations of the cubic crystal system. One exception is the flat form called a macle, which is really a composite crystal, and the other exception is the class of etched crystals, which have rounded surfaces and may have elongated shapes. Real diamond crystals dont have completely smooth faces but may have raised or indented triangular growths called trigons. Diamonds have perfect cleavage in four different directions, meaning a diamond will separat e neatly along these directions rather than break in a jagged manner. The lines of cleavage result from the diamond crystal having fewer chemical bonds along the plane of its octahedral face than in other directions. Diamond cutters take advantage of lines of cleavage to facet gemstones. Graphite is only a few electron volts more stable than diamond, but the activation barrier for conversion requires almost as much energy as destroying the entire lattice and rebuilding it. Therefore, once the diamond is formed, it will not reconvert back to graphite because the barrier is too high. Diamonds are said to be metastable since they are kinetically rather than thermodynamically stable. Under the high pressure and temperature conditions needed to form a diamond, its form is actually more stable than graphite, and so over millions of years, carbonaceous deposits may slowly crystallize into diamonds.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Development of an internet based housing demand database system for Dissertation - 1

Development of an internet based housing demand database system for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements - Dissertation Example This study discusses the analysis of the questionnaire and the analysis of it which formed the basis of the new systems requirements. The questionnaire provided insights from the system analysts, database administrators and the development team as to the requirement specifications of KZN/DHS, the municipalities and the users. There was a need for a detailed understanding of the standard operational process, the principal requirement’s of the department and the users, the shortcomings of the old system, the relational aspect of the system with respect to the sections or departments and the local municipalities frequent communication and sharing of data which needed to be analyzed at length to come to a systems requirement specifications. The questionnaire also enabled the researcher to get thorough insight into the problems the department and the users were facing and their day to day requirements as they had knowledge of KZN/DHS day to day business roles, the hierarchical leve ls and the relational aspects of all the departments concerned. The questions asked helped in gaining an in-depth understanding of the system requirements and produced a blueprint for the system design and development process. Responses to the questionnaire gave the researcher, system analysts, DBA and the developers a deeper understanding of the system objectives, the main functional areas, the various modules required, user acceptability level while bearing in mind the system validations and the testing phase required. The developers got firsthand feedback from the department sources and the end users of the proposed new system as to what was lacking from the old system and what features and functions they want in the new system. Based on the information collected from the questionnaire, the researcher who was also the system developer used the unified modelling language to produce system architecture models, documented the system specification information and shared it

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Should students be assigned to classrooms according to their IQ level Research Paper

Should students be assigned to classrooms according to their IQ level why or why not - Research Paper Example One such issue is whether children should be placed in classrooms based on their age alone, or should their IQ also weigh in as well. There are various ways through which children with higher IQs are catered to in various educational institutions. Some techniques entail placing the â€Å"gifted† children in the same class as their peers, with specialized activities being created for them, different from those of the rest of the class. Still others involve having the gifted children take special classes after school hours, for instance private tutoring. There are certain schools that provide separate classrooms for gifted students altogether, whereas there are institutes that only cater to gifted children. This paper discusses the technique that advocates providing separate classrooms for children based on their IQ. ... Children with higher IQs tend to get bored in regular classrooms, where they are forced to hold back their intelligence, so to speak. This results in them not achieving their full potential. On the same note, children with average IQs, when placed with gifted children, will also experience frustration and confusion. Such feelings can often result in children either lashing out or withdrawing within their own selves. What is more, with the present public school system geared towards improving the standards of the average or deficient/lacking children, the needs of gifted children are often ignored. Assigning gifted children to separate classrooms enables them to challenge themselves and cause them to utilize their maximum potential, something not possible in a regular classroom. Placing such children in regular classrooms may even cause disruption as the gifted child, out of boredom or frustration, may cause distractions in class, thus disturbing the learning of other students. The pr oponents opine that as gifted children are lesser in number, therefore, in a bid to â€Å"fit in† they may end up playing down their intelligence, whether for the teachers or for their classmates. It is a normal phenomenon in a classroom that the teachers often do not call out children who they think would already know the answer, instead focusing on the average or lacking students. All these factors may cause the children to drop out of school altogether (Cloud, Badowski, Rubiner, & Scully, 2004). Once again, students at both ends of the spectrum will benefit greatly from being assigned to classrooms based on their IQ level. On the other hand, the opponents state that the system of measuring IQ, first of all, is not an exact science and

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Marijuana Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Example for Free

Marijuana Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Human laws are based on moral and ethical principles. This applies to almost all existing laws aside from the drug laws. Because of this aspect of the drug laws, much clamor is present as many groups are calling for the legalization of drugs like marijuana. Marijuana and other illegal drugs are not evil but it has gained a negative connotation because of numerous misinterpretations. The prohibition of drugs has also brought about negative effects instead of positive effects. In analysis, legalization may even prove to have more benefits. According to Benson Roe, the professor emeritus and chairman of the Cardiothoracic surgery at the University of California, there is no reason why marijuana, cocaine and heroine would be called poison as these substances have not been proven to have any ill effects on the health of a person. Roe narrated an incident when he was removing destroyed heart valves from a drug user and he got curious and consulted the San Francisco coroner to what extent do illegal drugs cause death. Roe was surprised to find out that the only causes of death coming from drugs come from the very rare cases of overdose and the use of infected intravenous injections. According to the coroner, â€Å"clean, reasonable dosages of heroin, cocaine and marijuana are pathologically harmless† (Roe). It is argued that marijuana causes psychological damage but the truth is no scientific evidence has traced mental illness or psychological damage to the use of marijuana. Marijuana users have been found to exhibit psychological distress after intake of the drug. However, it has been proven that these effects are temporary and will pass away after some time. It has also been argued that the harms brought about by marijuana have been scientifically proven but the Lancet, a British Medical Journal, concluded that based on 30 years worth of research, smoking marijuana is not harmful to health even if it is used in the long-term. Likewise, marijuana use has also been related to brain damage. This was thought to be proven in an earlier study when rhesus monkeys were exposed to marijuana smoke, however, a more reliable study wherein monkeys who were forced to inhale a significant amount of marijuana smoke manifested no brain damage. Anti-drug advocates also argue that marijuana has addictive properties even as evidence points to the direction that marijuana is not addictive. Less than one percent of marijuana smokers smoke marijuana on a daily basis. Majority of the people who smoke marijuana only smoke it occasionally. Some people who wish to stop smoking marijuana have no trouble breaking the habit. Even if a person experiences symptoms from marijuana withdrawal, these are usually mild symptoms (Drug Policy). There is also no reason to classify marijuana as illegal when other substances that have proven to be more addictive and harmful to the health, such as tobacco and alcohol, remain legal. In 2005, the number of deaths that has been associated with marijuana in England and in Wales only totals 19 while tobacco has been associated with 86,500 deaths and alcohol with 6,627 deaths. The number of deaths caused by alcohol and tobacco do not compare to the number of deaths caused by marijuana. Even other drugs which have more notoriety still fall short as heroine and morphine account for only 842 deaths, while cocaine (including crack cocaine) is associated with only 176 deaths (Transform). The use of drugs like marijuana does not affect other people aside from the person ingesting the drug. Technically, a person who uses drugs does not violate the rights of any other person. If a person under the influence of drugs violates the rights of another person or commits a crime, this is the time when he/she should be prosecuted by law. Alcohol remains legal even as drunk people commit heinous and even brutal crimes. The substance is not an excuse for committing a crime and drinking alcohol is not a crime in itself but when a person commits a crime under the influence of alcohol, this is when he/she is prosecuted. The same should apply for the use of drugs (Cussen Block, p. 532). Drugs are not evil per se but it has gained a negative image because of negative propaganda. The media always make use of the phrase â€Å"drug-related† in the presence of a drug in a crime even as the drug has not been indicated as a direct cause of the crime. Usually, the crime is not motivated by the drug. It is usually motivated by another external factor. The media has inadvertently played a role in giving drugs a negative image. This practice has been so common that no one even looks to identify if a crime really is related to drugs (Jackson). The anti-drug lobby also makes use of vague and emotive statements to persuade the people to support their cause (Russell). Even politicians make use of these statements and call for tougher drug laws simply to forward their political careers (Jackson). People interpret these vague and emotive statements differently and this may be identified as a basic element of a black propaganda. In a book entitled Hugs not Drugs: A Drug Abuse Prevention Manual published in the Philippines, the author starts by narrating a story of a studious young girl who got mixed with the wrong set of friends who influenced her to use marijuana. As a result, the young girl dropped out from school and had relationships with men that took advantage of her low self-esteem. After realizing what had happened to her, she decided to undergo rehabilitation. And after a tearful reunion with her parents, she vowed to stay away from drugs. This story is very common and immediately suggests that marijuana caused all the negative things failing to look at other factors which might have caused the girl to behave the way that she did. Additionally, the book indicated that drug use has been directly related with juvenile and even violent crime. However, the book does not cite where the information was taken or what study linked drugs with crime. The book also does not have a clear reference page evidencing that it is not a reliable source. Many critics of drug also make use of violent and obscene images in an attempt to prove that drugs are harmful. Drug prohibition results in too many expenses for the government as the drug laws leads to the incarceration of many non-violent offenders. In 2002, it is estimated that prohibition expenses amounted to $18. 22 billion indicating that â€Å"incarceration is an expensive policy option† (Taylor, Trace Stevens, p. 3-4). Prohibition is not good, in fact, it is even the greatest ally of the drug dealers as drugs are priced very high because they are illegal and not regulated (Jackson, 1998). Legalization will even benefit the general public. Marijuana has been related to crime rate by anti-drug groups but all unbiased studies have pointed to the direction that marijuana does not cause people to do criminal acts. The only crime that marijuana users commit is that they possess the drug (Drug Policy). Additionally, legalization will come with regulation which will eliminate the already minimal number of deaths as a result of drug use. Also, crime rate will decrease because drug prices will be regulated and people would no longer need to resort to crime to be able to buy the drugs. It will also be another source of income for the government as the drug trade will be taxed and the costs of prohibition would be avoided (Roe). No scientific evidence has proven that marijuana is harmful to the health and it also has not been identified as a cause of crime. Because of this information, there is no reason to outlaw marijuana. Legalizing marijuana may even be the better option as it will be a source of income for the government, all the while avoiding the high costs of prohibition. It will also reduce crime rate as well as prevent the incarceration of people that are merely caught possessing drugs. The negative image that drugs have gained is mainly because of negative propaganda.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Dad - Original Writing :: Papers

Dad - Original Writing "Hurry up Mark," called Jan, "Paul will be here in a minute." The usual Friday-night scrimmage to get Mark ready for his weekend visit with his Dad was nearly over. "Did you pack my England shirt Mum?" he shouted from the bedroom. "Yes, and I have packed the England flag too." Jan answered. "What are you doing now?" she enquired. "I'm just doing my hair." he yelled back. "Ah, that reminds me, I've also packed a can of red hair spray. Will Jo have time to do it for you tomorrow?" Jan checked. England was playing in the Rugby World Cup Final against Australia and Mark was watching it with his Dad and his step-mum, Jo, at the Rugby Club. Mark wanted a red St George's cross sprayed in his hair. It was an early kick-off and they had a fair journey to get to the club on time. "Yeah, no problem, she'll have time," he replied hurtling down the stairs. As Paul pulled up outside the house he tooted the car horn. "He's here," relayed Jan. "So am I!" Mark answered with a grin. Jan gave him a hug. "Have an excellent weekend, love," she called after him as he raced outside to greet Paul. "And you Mum. See you Sunday afternoon, bye," he replied with a wave. Jan smiled wistfully to herself, wishing that she could share the excitement of tomorrow morning with Mark herself. After all it wasn't often that England made it to the final, and Mark did love his rugby. Never mind, she thought to herself, it's a good thing that Mark now knows his Dad and can spend some time with him after all these years. Mark had only met his Dad just over a year ago. * * * Jan had fallen pregnant with Mark after dating Paul for only a few months. She had decided to have the baby, even though Paul wasn't ready for settling down. It had been a big decision, and some would

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Flexible Learning Essay

Education is a broadly debated topic, now there is a new concept emerging, ’flexible learning’. This essay will discuss what is understood by this term and how it could affect the way of the future in education. Furthermore it will discuss how flexible learning has engaged technology and how it has made education more accessible and equitable. Next it will demonstrate how individual students have benefited through the use of technology with flexible learning, and how students are able to be the central focus of their own education. Technology brings with it many advantages for the future of education, however not without some setbacks, this essay will also discuss these. This essay will argue that because of the increasing accessibility and improvements in technology, flexible learning should be the way of the future in education. Flexible learning is quickly becoming the way of the future for education, as it engages and implements the use of sophisticated technology. According to George and Luke (cited in Andrews & Ferman 2001) flexible learning is a multi-directional approach to learning using different methods of delivery. On the other hand, Nunan (cited in Andrews & Ferman 2001, p. 2) considers that ‘flexible delivery is often taken to mean the same thing as increasing flexibility in learning’. Summarising Harmes (2010) explains flexible learning engages technology, allowing the use of the internet, e-mail, and other digital interactive technology. It also allows the student to freely access online lectures and study material and more importantly it enables teachers to position the student as the central focus of the learning experience. This can be seen at universities including the relatively new University of Queensland campus at Ipswich who are using technology to promote flexible learning. It was in fact the purpose built with this in mind; and included computer rooms, a self-directed learning centre and even wireless laptops (Andrews&Ferman 2001). Another example of flexible learning is discussed by Huijser, Bedford and Bull (2008) who describe the Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP); this is a course which is accessed online and on-campus. TPP students can engage in online lectures, Wimba classrooms and forums, study material can also be submitted online and feedback returned to student, again online. Using technology students have engaged in flexible learning all over Australia, including international students. Furthermore TPP is currently funded by the government making it free; this allows students to prepare for higher study prior to investment. The outcome of this should be a higher intake of fee paying students, which in turn should lead to increased government funding for universities. Flexible learning through technology has made education more accessible and therefore equitable. Harmes (2010) discusses how the internet has increased the number of students to able to study degrees through online study material and lectures. As a result of technological advances the world has become a â€Å"global village â€Å"and students can participate in a global classroom. Worldwide opportunities using technology and flexible learning should be funded locally (Zhao 2009). Ultimately this will enable there to be proximity through distance, and will allow students to study anytime and anywhere, thus making education more equitable explains Harmes (2010). There are students from as far away as remote Western Australia studying through the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). They are able to access all the lectures and tutorials online, and USQ plans to offer many more academic programs online by 2012 (The Chronicle 2009). ‘Technology is the tool used to provide a facility for a teacher facilitated, learner centred environment’ (Bonanno, 2005). It is only through the many improvements and advances in technology that education has been so accessible and with it flexible learning has been implemented. Flexible learning has made education more accessible because, study is teacher facilitated and enables the student to be positioned as the central focus of education. According to Harmes there are many benefits of flexible learning, students are able to access their study any time they like, and this means that they are able to co-ordinate study around work and family life. The flexibility that technology provides has enabled students to study at their own pace (Andrews& Ferman, 2001). Additionally students have a sense of freedom with their study, slotting it in whenever they please. Knowles (cited in Choy and Delahaye 2002) researched how adult learners are more likely to be motivated and experienced in life, and that they are ready to embrace learning with deeper appreciation and understanding. Knowles (1973) continues by discussing how this self-driven learning is assisted through flexible delivery and how students benefit from a mature independent approach to education with the option for teacher help when needed. As a result of this Bonanno suggests that with good self-discipline and time management students are able to have freedom and access to study anytime and place, thus enabling many styles of learning. Technology has increased the flexibility that students have, thus allowing greater access to education. Despite the fact that education has embraced technology, there are still some problems which must be resolved. According to Ralston (1999) it appears that although many have embraced technology for learning, there are still many who are either too afraid to or do not have the skills and confidence to do so. Furthermore he suggests that that those who do not attempt to engage technology will be severely disadvantaged, because the twenty-first century is the age of technology. Andrews and Ferman (2000) noted on their study of the University of Queensland, -Ipswich campus that many students found the course material limited, that there was a lack of structure, and there were also a significant number of technical difficulties. Additionally Bonanno (2005) discusses some of the disadvantages of technology and states that the learner can easily lose motivation partly due to a lack of classroom spirit and teacher facilitated learning. Technology can be out of date or difficult to understand and often it can be confusing and sometimes it can just be that there is no technical support available. Bonanno’s (2005) comments that many problems occurring are learner related and that in order to be successful the learner must be self-motivated and have a reasonable degree of self-competency. She also comments that the facilitator or teacher must be motivated as well and be able to produce engaging study material for the student to work with; they must also be able to direct, listen and support students. Despite some complications, changes in technology help to make sure education is more accessible and equitable. Universities are able to capture larger numbers of students enabling more funding from the government. Students are able to be in control of their own education pathway and are able to be flexible about when and where they choose to study. Students can also choose to study gregariously in online classrooms and even traditional classrooms. Problematic areas will in time be improved as technology upgrades on a daily basis; including faster internet options. With this evolving technology people’s knowledge and experience will increase and in time student numbers and study options will grow. It is realistic that flexible learning will be and indeed should be the way of the future in education and that there will be a worldwide classroom. References Andrews, T & Ferman, T 2001, ‘The flexible learning experience – how good is it really? ’ in L Richardson & J Lidstone (eds), Flexible learning for a flexible society, pp. 39-45. Proceedings of ASET-HERDSA 2000 Conference, Toowoomba, Qld, 2-5 July 2000. ASET and HERDSA http://www. aset. org. au/confs/aset-herdsa2000/procs/andrews-t. html. Bonanno, K 2005, ‘Online learning : the good the bad and the ugly’, Proceedings of the XIX Biennial Conference – Meeting the Challenge, Australian School Library Association, Zillmere, QLD, pp. 1-7 Choy, SC & Delahaye, BL 2002, ‘Andragogy in vocational education and training: learners’ perspective’, Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Conference, Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), Melbourne, VIC University of Southern Queensland 2009, ‘University offers online options to its students’, The Chronicle, 10 Jul, p. 41. Collis, B & Moonen, J 2002, Flexible learning in a digital world: experiences and expectations, Kogan Page, London, UK, pp. 8-10,17,26-27. Harmes, M 2011,TPP7120 Studying to succeed ,Appendix 3’Flexible and Blended Learning’, University of Southern Queensland,Toowoomba,viewed 25 September 2011,http://usqstudydesk. usq. au/ Huijser, H, Bedford, T & Bull, D 2008, ‘OpenCourseWare global access and the right to education: real access or marketing ploy? ‘, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1-13. Ralston, P 1999, ‘Education for IT equity’, The Australian, 12 Jan, p. 44. Zhao, Y 2009, Catching up or leading the way: American education in the age of globalization, ASCD, Alexandria, VA, pp. 98-113.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Amerindians of the Caribbean

Content Topic†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 History†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Appearance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3-4 Entertainment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Housing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5-6 Survival (farming and hunting)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6-8 Religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Topic: The Arawak of Guyana, their cultures, land use patterns and their effect on the landscape and biota. Introduction The Arawaks are thought to have settled at Hosororo creek on the Aruka River around 3,500 years ago. They planted manioc (manihot esculenta) which they baked into bread on ceramic griddles on the hilltops. Arawaks occupied the Corentyne River also around 2,000 years ago leaving a unique type of rock engraving, called Timehri Petroglyphs.Due to the amount of rich protein supply found along the coastal swamps, the Arawaks moved hundreds of tons of earth with wooden shovels , in order to build habitation mounds and raised fields for farming. According to Denis Williams this settlement strategy has sustained human population on coastal swamps during the European era and into the present. During the rainy season the Arawaks hunted a lot, when animals were said to migrate from lowlands in search of high ground. Animals commonly hunted were the deer, tapir, labba, wild hog, agouti, birds, parrots and turtles.They were known as food producers, also they are also known for their pottery making skills as they were the first people to bring pottery to Guyana. The Arawaks have made great contributions to Guyana culture, today many places are named by the Arawaks, most of our rivers and creeks are named by the Arawaks. The Arawak nation is deemed the most intelligent of the Amerindian nations. Fig. 1 Map of Guyana showing the location of the Arawaks History The Amerindians is said to be the first inhabitants to Guyana who entered the territory about 11,000 years ago.Amerindians initially lived on low, swampy coastland regions. The coastal plain was built up by alluvial deposits from the rising Atlantic Ocean ranging from 17,000 to 6000 years ago. The Arawak nation is said to be the second nation to arrive in Guyana after the Warraus who came before approximately 84000 years ago. It is said that a number of Arawak tribes have been extinct for several hundreds of years. What could have happened that would bring a population that once numbered 2 to 3 million down to just a few thousand by the early part of the 16th century?Throughout history the Arawak were subject to many hostile take-overs, diseases, enslavement, damage to food supplies and much more. Inevitably, by the end of the 16th century the Island Arawak had become extinct. Sadly, the Arawak Indians have been eliminated or greatly reduced in number in many areas, some of which include the Caribbean, Guadeloupe, West Indies, Barbados, and the Virgin Islands. Their numbers have been sl owly rising, so that today upwards of 30, 000 Arawak currently reside in Guyana, with a very small number existing in Suriname and French Guiana. AppearanceBecause of the broad distribution of the Arawaks, little uniformity can be found in their culture or racial type. It has been found though that the language they speak distinguish them from the rest of the world. The Arawaks were well shaped, slightly built and medium height. It appeared that they were physically weak in comparison with the Africans and Europeans. Their skin was â€Å"olive† which mean smooth and brown. The Arawaks were considered naturally good- looking but distorted their features by artificial means. As babies their heads were flattened at the forehead, this elongated head was considered a mark of beauty.This is thought to have been done to thicken the skull thus it could withstand heavy blows. The Arawaks had broad nose and their nostrils probably flared wide. Their hair was straight and black but coar se and was usually worn long. Figure 2: showing an Arawak family The Arawak men painted their bodies with bright colored dyes with clay and fat mixed all over smearing patterns all over their bodies: â€Å"some of them †¦ with black, others white and others red, most of them on their bodies and some on their faces, and eyes or only the nose†.The favorite paint was Roucou a red dye, besides being colorful, the clay and grease kept insects and rain off. The Arawaks also had body piercings and wore ornaments made from clay, shell and cotton. A plate of gold and copper alloy called the guanin was worn by chiefs who also dressed in gold crowns and feather headdresses. Sometimes the Arawaks had gold in their noses as plugs or hanging ornaments. The Arawaks saw gold as nothing more than a form of decoration. The women wore simple bead aprons and necklaces. A number of small amulets (Fig. ) or charms were carried in sacks around the neck, foot and wrist. Others made from cotton; shell and clay were woven into hair. Figure 3: showing amulets worn or carried by the Arawaks Entertainment The Arawaks had ample leisure time and many festivals marked by the Arawak year, some religious and some not so. For example the naming of a baby was time to rejoicing of the Arawaks that a child without a name will meet with great misfortune. The wedding of a cacique and the inauguration of a new cacique were times of festivity.Arawaks are fond of sports, although not competitive like us. The favorite sport called batos was a ball game with the cross between volleyball and football. The game was played with a hard rubber ball. The main aim of the game was to keep the ball in the air using only the thighs and never touching the hands or feet. The most well-known of the Arawaks' pleasure was that of smoking. The Arawaks called the tobacco plant cohiba and the pipe for smoking the leaves, tabaco. The Arawaks liked tobacco for peace and contentment, and for helping them to medit ate.They made cigars and smoked it in a pipe which they enjoyed very much. Fig. 4: showing Arawak harvesting and smoking tobacco Housing All the Arawaks needed were a shelter to keep off rain. Arawak houses were rectangular with steep thatched roofs. The larger ones had a covered porch before the door. The construction of these houses is rather simple. Wooden posts were put into the ground in a circle and canes were woven between them and tied with creepers. The roof was thatched in a conical shape and a hole was left at the top to allow smoke to escape.There were no windows and only an opening was left for a door and the houses were thoroughly built and could withstand hurricanes. The tasks of building houses were done by the men. Fig. 5: showing the house of an Arawak Survival (farming and hunting) The Arawaks were subsistence farmers, growing food mainly for their own needs and with a little left over for trade. Some crops are shown in fig. . They cut down trees to make room for planting and used the â€Å"slash-and-burn† method of farming. This is a simple method where the land was burnt to clear it of weeds and bush.The ash produced was mixed with fish and urine to produce fertilizer to help prolong the productiveness of the land. Crops were then planted in the ashes among the blackened tree stumps. These primitive farmers did not practice crop rotation, after about five to ten years, the soil would become exhausted, and the village would proceed to clear fresh land, however, slash and burn is no longer used. Instead, shifting cultivation is their new form of farming. Women did the planting and were responsible for the preparation of food.The crop cassava (also known manioc), slips were cut from the stem and planted in mounds on the level earth. Cassava was planted twice a year when the soil was damp. The Arawaks ate a variety of other fruits and vegetables including pineapples, star apples, guavas and cashews. The Arawaks did not touch mammy apple s as they believed that it was food for the dead. Arawaks did not rely on field crops for all their food. Due to living on the coast oceans and rivers were rich in foods which needed little effort to gather: shellfish, turtle eggs, snails and gull.Huge piles of shells have been found among the remains of camp sites. Arawaks trapped many small animals including bots, lizards, snakes, iguanas and agouties. The only domestic animal known to Arawaks was a small dog. Fig. 6: Showing some crops grown by Arawak As mentioned, the women were also responsible for all food preparations. The main food of the Arawaks was cassava, which required special preparation since it was poisonous in its natural state. First, the root was grated on a board covered small pebbles or rough coral until it formed a paste. Fig. 4 is an indication of this tool.This was put into a wicker tube, one end of which was hung from a branch, while a weight was attached to the other end. This caused the tube to contract, a nd forced the poisonous liquid out through the wicker. The remaining paste was left to dry and then pounded into flour using a stone mortar and pestle. The flour was formed into flat cakes and baked on a clay griddle until they were hard and dry. In this way, the cassava flour could keep from an extended period of time. Fig. 7: showing an Arawak grind stone Seasoning played a big part in food preparation. Salt and especially pepper were the common seasonings used.In addition, a sauce called cassareep, which was made of cassava juice, salt and pepper was frequently used, especially when serving the Arawaks' simplest dish, ‘pepperpot’. Note that both cassareep and pepperpot are widely used throughout Guyana today. Pepperpot was prepared in a large clay pot. Cassava juice, with the poison extracted of course, beans, peanuts, potato and some meat were all allowed to simmer. This pot of soup was used to feed a family about three times a day and as the pot is emptied, more in gredients are added so that one can have pepperpot at any time of the day or night.The Arawaks could also make intoxicating drinks out of cassava and maize such as piwari and cassiri, but drunkenness was uncommon except on some ceremonial occasions. However, smoking tobacco was a big part of the Arawak culture. Religion The Arawaks’ religious believe was called animism and was based on a spirit world, this practice aimed at honoring the spirit god. However Hillhouse claimed that the Arawaks worshipped the universal creator, a supreme being who they called Aluberi. They also believed that the sky was the source of all things powerful and good.Certain men in society were single out to explain the mysterious and control the spirit world. They were called shamans or piaimen and were said to have supernatural powers. Arawaks believe that disease was nothing but the presence of evil spirit. These medicine men had the power possessed to drive out disease. The piaimen were versed in the knowledge of herbs to treat disease. Connected with the belief in evil spirits also was the Kanaima. The Kanaima would track down its victims for years for the sake of revenge.He was thought to be an evil spirit in the form of a man. References Some notes on the Amerindians of Guyana Then and Now. Compiled by Shebana Daniel Uncle Basil: An Arawak Biography. By Justin Greene- Roesel The Prehistoric Arawak of Guyana. By Jennifer Wishart, Walter Roth Museum The Amerindians and the Europeans. By M. N. Menezes http://www. google. ca/imgres? q=Arawaks+of+Guyana//html accessed December 10, 2012 http://www. google. gy/imgres? q=arawak+smoking+tobaccocigarettes. org/history. html accessed December 10, 2012

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Shopping Rapturous or Torturous

Shopping Rapturous or Torturous Introduction The aim of this paper is to establish whether shopping is delightful or a torturous undertaking. Shopping has become a culture and commodities have turned many people into consumers. Fiske (1989, p. 13) claims that shopping places have become like worshiping places and the goods have become objects of worship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shopping: Rapturous or Torturous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through advertising, promotions and many other techniques used by many shopping centers, people become consumers with great appetite for shopping. Shopping has become a rapturous experience to many people but to others it’s a torture. Although shopping can be torturous in many ways, people have a responsibility of avoiding torturous situations and making the experience rapturous. Household Shopping Household shopping consists in sourcing for a variety of items used in the house or by family. Clo the shopping is one example and has become a common practice to many people. It can get torturous in many ways. One reason is that for clothes one must fit to make sure the clothes look good on him/her. Sometimes a shopper doesn’t find the exact type of clothe he/she wants and when he/she finds one that she wants, in many occasions, the clothe will not fit. It makes this type of shopping torturous because the shopper gets tired running up and down looking for what he/she exactly wants. Another type of household shopping is grocery shopping. This is a very exciting and rapturous practice. It is rapturous mostly when one goes with his/her family and one gets to choose what he/she wants. Factors that Affect Shopping Experience One of the factors that make shopping delightful or a nightmare is availability of parking space. There are many occasions especially during holidays, when everyone is shopping; this makes it hard for one to find appropriate parking. The culture of shoppin g, especially during holidays, has continued to greatly dominate individual lives and the contemporary society at large (Edwards, 2000, p. 34). The time one has for shopping affects how he/she does the shopping. If one has limited time, he/she will tend to rush. On the other hand if one sets enough time to do the shopping, he/she will do it leisurely and enjoy the shopping experience. It becomes torturous when one has no time to shop and has to rush through. Many people have no time for shopping and this is what makes them consider shopping torturous.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the kind of service one receives from shopping stores makes shopping experience torturous or rapturous. It becomes an exciting experience when one visits a store that offers friendly and pleasant shopping experiences. This promotes a good atmosphere which makes shopping fun an d enjoyable. Its good to visit a store that offers good customer services in order to avoid the stress of shopping. These customer services include customer attendants who assist customers find an item they have problem locating (Krafft Mantrala, 2008, p. 21). On the other hand if the customer care is poor then no one can enjoy shopping. Conclusion In conclusion, shopping experience is generally supposed to be a rapturous experience. In order to avoid being tortured by it, we have to make sure we have enough time and money for shopping. Moreover, shopping from stores that offer good quality products and enhanced customer services are critical to enjoying shopping. If one has to shop from a far place, then he/she should make sure there is a means of transport available. Consumers have control over their shopping experiences and they shouldn’t let it be a torturous experience. References Edwards, T., 2000, Contradictions of Consumption: Concepts, Practices, and Politics in Con sumer Society, Open University Press, Berkshire Fiske, J., 1989, Reading the Popular, Routledge, New York Krafft, M., Mantrala, M., K., 2008, Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends, Springer, New York

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

LAs Getty Center by Architect Richard Meier

LA's Getty Center by Architect Richard Meier The Getty Center is more than a museum. It is a campus that encompasses research libraries, museum conservation programs, administration offices, and grant institutions as well as an art museum open to the public. As architecture, wrote critic  Nicolai Ouroussoff, its scale and ambition may seem overwhelming, but Richard Meier, the Gettys architect, handled a daunting task admirably. This is the story of an architects project. The Client By the time he was 23, Jean Paul Getty (1892-1976) had made his first million dollars in the oil industry. Throughout his life, he reinvested in oil fields across the globe and also spent much of his Getty Oil wealth on fine art. J. Paul Getty always called California his home, even though he spent his later years in the UK. In 1954 he transformed his Malibu ranch into an art museum for the public. And then, in 1974, he expanded the Getty Museum with a newly built Roman villa on the same property. During his lifetime, Getty was fiscally frugal. Yet after his death, hundreds of millions of dollars were entrusted to properly run a Getty Center. After the estate was settled in 1982, the  J. Paul Getty Trust purchased a hilltop in Southern California. In 1983, 33 invited architects were whittled down to 7, then to 3. By the fall of 1984, architect Richard Meier had been chosen for the massive project on the hill. The Project Location: Just off the San Diego Freeway in the Santa Monica Mountains, overlooking Los Angeles, California and the Pacific Ocean.Size: 110 acresTimeline: 1984-1997 (Inaugurated on December 16, 1997)Architects: Richard Meier, lead architectThierry Despont, museum interiorsLaurie Olin, landscape architect Design Highlights Because of height restrictions, half of the Getty Center is below ground - three stories up and three stories down. The Getty Center is organized around a central arrival plaza. Architect Richard Meier used curvilinear design elements. The Museum Entrance Hall and the canopy over the Harold M. Williams Auditorium are circular. Materials Used: 1.2 million square feet, 16,000 tons, of beige-colored travertine stone from Italy. The stone was split along its natural grain, revealing the texture of fossilized leaves, feathers, and branches. From the beginning, I had thought of stone as a way of grounding the buildings and giving them a sense of permanence, writes Meier.40,000 off-white, enamel-clad aluminum panels. The color was chosen to complement the colors and texture of the stone, but, more importantly, was chosen from among fifty minutely varied shades as the architect negotiated his color scheme with local homeowners associations.Expansive sheets of glass. Inspirations: In choosing how to organize the buildings, landscaping, and open spaces, writes Meier, I deferred to the sites topography. The low, horizontal profile of the Getty Center may have been inspired by the work of other architects who designed buildings in Southern California: Rudolf SchindlerRichard NeutraFrank Lloyd Wright Getty Center Transport: Parking is underground. Two 3-car, computer-operated trams ride on a cushion of air to the hilltop Getty Center, which is 881 feet above sea level. Why Is the Getty Center Important? The New York Times called it a marriage of the austere and the sumptuous, noting Meiers signature crisp lines and a stark geometry. The Los Angeles Times called it a unique package of art, architecture, real estate, and scholarly enterprise - housed in the costliest art institution ever built on American soil. Architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff wrote that it is Meiers culmination of a lifelong effort to hone his version of Modernism to perfection. It is his greatest civic work and an important moment in the citys history. Still, writes critic Paul Goldberger, one feels frustrated because the overall effect of the Getty is so corporate and its tone so even. But doesnt that exactly express J. Paul Getty himself? The esteemed architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable might say thats exactly the point. In her essay in Making Architecture, Huxtable points out how architecture reflects both the client and the architect: It tells us everything we need to know, and more, about those who conceive and build the structures that define our cities and our time....Zoning restrictions, seismic codes, soil conditions, neighborhood concerns, and many invisible factors required constant conceptual and design revisions....What may look like formalism because of the ordered solutions was an organic process, elegantly resolved....Should there be anything to debate about this architecture if its messages of beauty, utility, and suitability are so clear?...Dedicated to excellence, the Getty Center conveys a clear image of excellence.- Ada Louise Huxtable More About the Getty Villa In Malibu, the 64-acre Getty Villa site was for many years the location of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The original villa was based on the Villa dei Papiri, a first-century Roman country house. The Getty Villa closed for renovations in 1996, but is now reopened and serves as an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Sources: Making Architecture: The Getty Center, Essays by Richard Meier, Stephen D. Rountree, and Ada Louise Huxtable, J. Paul Getty Trust, 1997, pp. 10-11, 19-21, 33, 35; The Founder and His Vision, The J. Paul Getty Trust; Online Archive of California; The Getty Center, Projects Page, Richard Meier Partners Architects LLP at www.richardmeier.com/?projectsthe-getty-center; Getty Center Inaugurated in Los Angeles by James Sterngold, The New York Times, December 14, 1997; Getty Center Is More Than Sum of Its Parts by Suzanne Muchnic, The Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1997; It Doesnt Get Much Better Than This by Nicolai Ouroussoff, The Los Angeles Times, December 21, 1997; The People’s Getty by Paul Goldberger, The New Yorker, February 23, 1998 [accessed October 13, 2015]

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Paper on TQM in International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Paper on TQM in International Business - Essay Example The Sea-View Wing houses The Club at The Leela and is perched on a cliff overlooking the sea (Leela Hotels, 2010). Hotel Leela Kempenski, Kerala offers traditional Indian hospitality and embraced by the grandeur of modern luxuries. It offers luxury accommodation and delicious food and beverage along with outdoor swimming pools and fitness center to its guests. Due to its location between two scenic beaches, Hotel Leela Kempenski provides its guests with an extremely pleasurable experience. Its state of the art business facilities; plush accommodation, fine dining experience and hospitable services make it one of the most sought after Luxury Hotel in Kovalam (Leela Hotels, 2010). The Leela Kempenski Hotel, Kovalam is considered to be one of the finest business hotels in Kerala. The convention center can accommodate about 1000 delegates and other smaller conference rooms have a seating capacity of 30 to 100. All the conference rooms are equipped with top quality audio-visual facility (Leela Hotels, 2010). Dining at the Leela Kempenski Hotel, Kovalam is an elaborate affair. The presentation, which is as important as the quality, is extremely extravagant. The restaurants and bar are at par with international standards and offer delicious food and beverages at several eateries in the hotel. Leela Kempenski Hotel, Kovalam offers its guests with recreational facilities that help them relax and enhance their pleasurable experience. The Hotel also offers its guests with an information desk that provides them information regarding all the services being offered. The core focus of Leela Kempenski Hotel’s policies is to deliver ultimate value to the customers. It has established a Customer Relationship Management system which offers customized services to the guests thus resulting in customer retention and loyalty. This is done by offering customers with exclusive dining services, world-class

Friday, November 1, 2019

Discuss Whether Justified True Belief Can Be Considered Knowledge Essay

Discuss Whether Justified True Belief Can Be Considered Knowledge - Essay Example Nonetheless, such engagement can also bring one to learn more about knowledge – a term ordinarily thought synonymous with the word ‘know’, when not everything we know constitutes knowledge, not even a JTB? JTB is composed of three concepts – belief, truth and justifiedness. Most basic of which is the understanding of belief, as the question of knowledge here is actually related with belief. To rephrase the main question, if JTB can be considered knowledge, would be: Can belief be qualified as knowledge if it is proven justifiably true? From this question, it can be inferred that not all beliefs can be considered knowledge and that even JTB can be doubted as knowledge. Essentially so, the main question centres on understanding what knowledge is. But since the question of knowledge here is limited only in qualifying JTB as knowledge or not, the discussion would only be limited in understanding philosophical views that either affirm or negate JTB as knowledge. So the discussion shall focus only on understanding when a belief is justifiably true; when JTB cannot be considered knowledge; and when JTB can be considered knowledge. Justified True Belief Belief is something we accept to be real or true. ... Of these, perceptual belief is most common, because we easily believe on the existence of things that are perceivable – these are called sense data. These sense data make us believe on the existence of things. For example, we believe in flowers because we see, smell and touch them. In fact, the first and immediate way for us in knowing about the things around us is making use of our five senses (Huemer 2002, p. 27). We come to know first about flowers not through books but through seeing one; we come to differentiate between sweet and bitter not through others testimony but through our sense of taste; we come to know pain and relief because we felt it; we come to know about odours because we smell them; and we come to know about sounds because we hear them – these perceptual experiences we have everyday made us believe on their existence. But not everything we perceive necessarily constitutes what we believe. There are some things we perceive that we may not believe nor care to believe. For example, we see a horse in a painting. Although we know what a horse look like, we do not believe that the horse in the painting is a real horse knowing that works of art, like painting, are basically imitations of the real world or representations of the painter’s perception, feelings or thought (Sheppard 1987, p. 4). On the other hand, not everything we believe may be true, because we are imperfect not only in our perceptions but also in what we remember, on how we reason out, and in other things that we do; so, it is most probable that we can be deceived by our own senses (Audi 2003, p. 8), which under various circumstances can perform differently. For example, if you are colour-blind, you are